The present invention relates generally to patient care devices and, more particularly, to pill crushing devices.
Modern medicines come in a variety of forms and commonly the form is that of a pill. This can be defined generally as a small, usually soluble medicated mass that is shaped to facilitate swallowing. Typically, it contains a filler and an excipient substance that facilitates working it into the desired pillular form. One skilled in the art of patient medication may distinguish between a "pill" and a "tablet" but, as the term is used herein, "pill" is intended to include both. Typically, pills come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and, because of the manufacturing process, often have a hard outer shell.
In some cases, to accomplish efficient patient medication, it is advisable to crush the pill rather than having the patient consume it whole. For example, if a patient has difficulty in swallowing, it can be helpful to pulverize the pill and combine the fragments with a carrier, such as a fruit juice. Because of this recognized need, various pill crushing devises are known.
Since pill crushing devices are used in a patient care setting, it is important that they be reliable, quiet in operation and readily usable by care giving personnel. Conventional pill crushers sometimes fall short of these goals. For example, some prior art devices afford little mechanical advantage and rely on impact forces for crushing. These devices make the pill crushing operation difficult and inefficient. Further, use of such devices can be a noisy affair and this can be a substantial limitation when it is important not to disturb a patient.
Thus, there is a need for a pill crusher that is effective, efficient and relatively quiet in operation. Ideally, such a device would not require impact forces to crush a pill.
In addition to the above mentioned limitations of conventional devices, another problem is presented by devices which use a crucible or cup in which the pill is crushed. If the user is not careful, residue from a prior crushing could be left in the crucible which would then be mixed with another medication, possibly intended for another patient. Such cross contamination could be dangerous in some cases.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a pill crusher which is quiet in operation and which affords the user a substantial mechanical advantage to afford ease of operation. Ideally, such a pill crusher would not require impact forces to accomplish pulverization. In addition, it would efficiently and effectively reduce the likelihood of contaminating the medication of one patient with that of another. Desirably, such a pill crusher would be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, be composed of readily available material and would be compact and light in weight.